Accurately adjustable, sturdily constructed injector razor



P 1965 J. a. KRUGER ETAL 3,204,337

ACCURATELY ADJUSTABLE, STURDILY CONSTRUCTED INJECTOR RAZOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1965 FIG.4

INVENTORS JAMES B. KRUGER BY ROBERT L. BORDEAU ATTORNEY p 7, 1965 J- B. KRUGER ETAL 3,204,337

ACCURATELY ADJUSTABLE, STURDILY CONSTRUCTED INJECTOR RAZOR Filed Jan. 11, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JAMES B. KRUGER ROBERT L. BORDEAU BY W mm ATTORNEY J. B. KRUGER ETAL 3,204,337 ACCURATELY ADJUSTABLE, STURDILY Sept. 7, 1965 CONSTRUCTED INJECTOR RAZOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 11, 1963 F 16. IO

FIG.

INVENTORS JAMES B. KRUGER ROBERT L. BORDEAU BY WM/ m FIG. 12

ATTORNEY S p 7, 96 J. B. KRUGER ETAL 3,204,337

ACCURATELY ADJUSTABLE, STURDILY CONSTRUCTED INJECTOR RAZOR Filed Jan. 11, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q) FIG. I6

FIG. I5

INVENTORS JAMES B. KRUGER ROBERT L. BORDEAU BY WM 0047 MZLM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,204,337 ACCURATELY ADJUSTABLE, STURDILY CONSTRUCTED INJECTOR RAZOR James B. Kruger and Robert L. Bordeau, Staunton, Va., assignors to Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Filed Jan. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 250,946

? Claims. (Cl. 30-63) This invention relates to injector razors and more especially to adjustable injector razors of the general type disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 138,485, filed September 15, 1961 which has matured into Patent No. 3,111,756 granted November 26, 1963.

The present invention is directed primarily to features of construction whereby a particular effectiveness and certainty of operation are assured, a particularly satisfactory cooperation of the parts attained, and a particular sturdiness of construction obtained.

With the foregoing and other considerations in view, the present invention in various of its aspects contemplates the provision of a razor embodying one or more of the following features: an auxiliary spring adapted to urge a blade seat shank rearwardly in a particularly satisfactory manner; guard-aligning contacts to align the blade seat and the cap; shank aligning contacts bearing against a rotary adjusting member; a stop means to limit the rotary motion of the rotary member in combination with an emergency stop if the first stop becomes inelfective; a camming bump in a key guideway which insures that the tip of an injector magazine key does not engage a spring relief; a lance cam on the key guideway adapted to cooperate with a rear depending guide on such a key to insure that the key is aligned in the key guideway; a blade-spring smoothly contoured so as to be easily flattened by the injector key; and a handle assembly includ ing plastic means joining a plastic handle piece and a metal handle-spine of the razor.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the razor embodying the invention and shown in association with an injector magazine;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view on the line 22 of FIG. 1 showing the razor in one extremity of its adjustment;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the razor in the other extremity of its adjustment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of FIG. 2 with part of the blade and cap broken away;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to the upper portion of FIG. 2 and showing the razor with the injector key inserted;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3 with the button removed;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a partial front view of the blade seat shank with portions broken away to show the rotary cam means;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing the parts of the razor of FIGS. 1-9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view on the line 1111 of FIG. 4;

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Patented Sept. 7, 1965 FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front view of the key-guide plate showing the lance-cam;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lancecam on the line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the handle assembly on the line 1414 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a rear view of the plastic grip member prior to the formation of the plastic enlargement;

FIG. 16 is a rear view of the rotary cam button showing the grip member and stop cam; and

FIG. 17 is a rear view of the upper portion of the razor showing the adjustment corresponding to FIGS. 1-4.

The razor as exemplified is of the injector type and comprises upper and lower members 10 and 12, which for the sake of convenience of terminology are designated, respectively, as the cap and blade seat and which are adapted to receive a (rigid single-edge) injector blade 14 therebetween. The blade seat 12, which is forwardly and rearwardly movable for purposes hereinafter described serves, in the present instance, to press the blade upwardly against the underside of the cap 10. The cap 10 is part of a stainless steel frame member 16, and is formed at its forward ends with forwardly-extending members 18 carrying downwardly-extending blade stops 20, which in the present instance, extend downwardly into cut-outs 21 in the blade seat; the cut-outs 21 being of suificient extent to permit forward and rearward movement of the blade seat relative to the stops 20. The rear (dull) edge of the blade is normally engaged by and the blade thrust against the blade stops 20 by a tab 22 extending upwardly and forwardly from a central forward portion 24 of a laterally-extending forwardly-bowed portion of a blade-spring 26, one arm 28 of which is mounted by an attaching tab arm 30 secured in place against, as in the present instance being spot welded to, the frame member 16 at attaching point 32 at one (the left side, FIGS. 1 and 4) of the razor; and the other arm 34, which is arcuate in shape, is adapted to be contacted by the key 36 of an injector magazine entering from the other side of the razor, a standard form of which key is shown at 38. The key engages the forwardly-sloping arcuate arm 34 and flattens the bowed portion of the blade-spring so as to move the tab 22 rearwardly when a new blade is to be injected. The tab 22 is provided with a rolled-over surface 40 to assure that the injector key 36 will slide past it.

The frame member 16, as exemplified, comprises a downwardly-extending arm 41 which is tapered and curved toward and terminates in a handle-spine section 42 as best seen in FIG. 10. The blade seat 12 is part of a stainless steel member 44 which comprises a shank 45 which extends downwardly from the seat 12 and is formed with a lower end tapering downwardly similarly to frame 16 and having a reduced laterally central tab portion 46 which is attached to handle section 42 at attaching point 48 by means of a spot-weld. Behind the member 44 there is fitted a key guide plate 50 the major portion of which is spaced sufliciently forward of the arm 41 to admit the key 36 of a magazine 38 and which is formed to guide the key along a path in which it will contact the sloping arcuate arm 34 and flatten the spring 26. Because of the arcuate shape of the arm 34, a particular, smooth flattening action is achieved. The term flattening is used herein to include a partial as well as a complete flattening; but the flattening should be, and as exemplified is, suflicient to leave ample room behind the blade stops 20 for a new blade to be moved into the razor without its cutting edge contacting the bade stops. The key guide plate 50 is bent out forwardly forming a front wall 52 at its right-hand (FIG. 4) end portion to provide a channel 54 for the receiving of the usual bump 56 and depending protuberance 58 on the key. The lower end portions of the key guide plate 50 are welded at 60 to the arm 41. The key guide plate 50 extends upwardly at 62 and then rearwardly at 64 to contact the arm 41 and providing the top of a channel 65 between the arm 41 and the key guide plate 50 for the reception of a'key such as 36. At its central portion, the entire upper part of the key guide plate 50 is cut away at 66 (below the top of the channel 54, in the present instance), to provide a spring relief admitting the tab 22. The front wall 52 has formed therein a rearwardly protruding dimple 68 centrally located and extending from the edge of cut 66 into wall 52. pressed-out cam 70, located a short distance in from the right-hand edge (FIG. 12) of the wall 52, is made by partially cutting a portion of wall 52 and pushing this severed portion rearwardly into channel 54; the bottom edge remaining attached to the key guide plate 50 as seen in FIGS. 12-13. The cam 70' has a guide surface 72 sloped toward the righthand edge of wall 52. This surface engages and guides upwardly the protuberance 58 as the key 36 is fully inserted into the razor, thus assuring proper alignment of the key.

The member 44 is provided with a forwardly-bent-out portion 74 to accommodate the front wall 52. It is to be observed that the key guide plate 50 has sufficient firmness so that the insertion of a key such as 36 will not move it significantly, but will serve merely to flatten out the bowed portion of the blade-spring 26, thus moving the tab 22 rearwardly so as to be out of the way of an incoming blade and so as to release a used blade for movement out of the razor ahead of the incoming blade. The dimple 68 engages key 36 as it is inserted and finally engages bump 56 just before full insertion. Dimple 68 as it is contacted by key 36 urges said key rearwardly so that the leading edge of the key avoids accidental engagement with the (far) left-hand edge (FIG. of cut 66 in key guide plate 50. Additionally, dimple 68, by engaging bump 56 when the key 36 is fully engaged, assists in aligning key 36 and in urging key 36 rearward to in turn flatten blade-spring 26. During its movement into the razor the cutting edge of the new blade will, as above indicated, be sufficiently rearward of the near blade stop so that the cutting edge will not be dulled by coming into contact with it. When the key 36 is withdrawn, however, the tab 22' will press the new blade forwardly so that the ends of its cutting edge will contact the blade-stops.

The key guide plate 50 is cut away at 76 (FIG. 6). At its lower portion, the key guide plate 50 carries two depending tabs 78, the outer edges having portions tapered to coincide with the taper of arm 41, the inner edges of the tabs defining a semi-circular opening 80 providing clearance for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The forward end of the blade seat 12, as exemplified, forms an integral guard 82 which as constructed lends itself particularly well to the adjustment of the shaving angle between the guard 82 and the cutting edge of a blade 14 by a rearward and forward movement of the blade seat and there is exemplified a highly effective means for effecting said movement. To this end, there is provided an adjusting button 84 having a head' 86 rotatably mounted in a circular opening 88 in the arm 41. The head- 86 is formed with a gripping rib 90. Forwardly of the head is an enlarged flange 92 freely rotatable in an opening of which the lower half is an opening 94 in the arm 41 and the upper half is the semi-circular opening 80 in the key guide plate 50. On the front face of flange 92 there are formed oppositelydisposed similarly-acting inclined cam faces 96 each cam surface being identically formed and spaced one hundred eighty degrees apart as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and each rising in a counterlockwise direction (FIG. 10).

An emergency stop block 98 forwardly projected and formed on the front face of flange 92 is disposed between the termination of one cam face 96 and start of another cam face 96 for a purpose to be hereinater described. On the rear face of flange 92 there is formed a rearwardly projecting stop segment 99 (FIG. 16) to limit the rotation of button 84. Formed on arm 41 and adjacent to opening 88 are shoulders 100 adapted to engage the edges 102 of segment 99 as the button is rotated. Indicia 104 are applied to the rear surface of the arm 41 (FIG. 17) to indicate varying positions of the gripping rib 90.

As exemplified, the shank 45 pocesses a a rearwarll resilience, and is also furtherurged rearwardly by means hereinafter to be described; and is accordingly urged rearward-1y in one or the other of these manners, and, as exemplified, both. In order to forwardly-and-rearwardly adjust the guard with respect to the blade stops 20 to vary the shaving angle of the blade, the shank 45 carries a pair of rearwardly extending nubs bearing respectively on the cam surfaces 96 of the adjusting button 84. In the present instance, these nubs are in the form of spherically appointed contacts 108 which as exemplified are commercial spherically pointed socket set screws, for enabling the shank 45 to be flexed so that the two ends of the blade seat and the guard will be in uniform alignment with the blade stops and, consequently, with the blade. When adjusted, the contacts serve to maintain the blade seat, and consequently the guard, in alignment with the cap regardless of the forward-and-rearward movement of the seat, and regardless of any warpage or lack of uniformity in the contour of or strains in the shank 45, which may have resulted from manufacturing procedures, and which would otherwise tend to cause a lack of parallelism between the seat 12 and the cap 10 and consequently between the guard 82 and the blade edge. There are therefore provide in the shank 45, and spaced on opposite sides of the vertical center line therefore, threaded holes 106 having within them a pair of spherically pointed contacts 108. By adjusting the contacts 108 the member 44 can be precisely aligned so as to assure that guard 82 will be properly parallel to the cutting edge of blade 14. It is to be further noted that member 44 is attached to the arm 41 0nly by a narrow tab 46 so as to minimize the force required to overcome warpage and to assure precise alignment. In order to assist in overcoming any tendency toward warping of the shank 45 and to help maintain parallelism of guard 82 to the blade edge, and to assist in urging the member 44 positively rearwards; there is provided a spring member 110 attached at 112 to handle section 42, the, upper end of the spring bearing against member 44 at a portion thereof which is at least substantially as low as, .and in .the present instance in line with the contacts 108 and opposite the adjusting button 84. Because the spring is effective only at this low point, neither the aligning action of the adjusted contacts nor the effective operation or shank-positioning action of the rotary button is interfered with. On the rearward side of member 44 there are bosses 114 (FIGS. -8 and 9) around both threaded holes 106 providing additional threads in holes 106. The contacts 108 further provide emergency stop limits for engagement by stop block 98 if the occasion should arise when shoulders 100 ride over or fail to engage edges 102. The provision of an emergency stop insures that the indicia 1-04 and the gripping rib 90 will always indicate the desired amount of cam action by cams 96 to move seat 12 between the position of FIG. 2, wherein there is provided a shaving angle A (of 35 in the present instance) and the position of FIG. 3, wherein there is provided a shaving angle B (of 25 in the present instance).

The blade seat 12 is provided with the usual longitudinal opening 116 and is formed IcarWardl thereof with a cut-out spring 118 bowed upwardly at 120 and secured at its right-hand end (FIGS. and 11) and with its free end at the left, and serving to assure that the blade is effectively pressed upwardly against the underside of the cap 10 at all times. As will be seen particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the blade seat contour is slightly arcuate in cross section to facilitate its forward and rearward movements.

The razor is provided with a handle 122, the rear and bottom portions of which are provided by the handlespine 42 of the frame 16 and the forward portion of which is provided by a grip member 124 formed of plastic and having a roughened or serrated surface. The forward surface of the handle-spine 42 is formed with a longitudinal groove 126 over which is placed a grip-clip 128 having longitudinal openings 130 therethrough. Grip-clip 128 is attached to the handle at points 132 and is contiguous to the forward surface of handle 42. Openings 130 are of a lesser width than groove 126, the combination forming, as exemplified, a pair of T-slots 133 into which there are fitted a pair of ribs 134, on grip member 124 (FIGS. 14 and The grip member is cut away at the rear of its upper end to provide a recess 136 to receive the spring 110 and tab end 46 of member 44. In the heads of the T-slots there is provide a plastic enlargement 140 for securely holding the grip member 124 on the handle spines 42. It is to be noted that the ribs 134 of the grip member 124 are formed to contact the back of groove 126. The handlespine 42 can thus be locally heated in the region of the T-slots, and the terminal portions of the ribs 134 are melted so that the plastic will flow laterally to form a plastic enlargement 140 including shoulders 142 in the head of the T-slots for holding the grip member 124 on the handle spine 42.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Subject matter disclosed but not claimed herein is claimed in applicants copending application Serial No. 413,225, filed November 23, 1964, as a continuation-in-part of the present case.

We claim:

1. An injector razor comprising a cap and a blade seat arranged to receive a blade therebetween, an arm extending downwardly from said cap, a shank extending downwardly from said blade seat and forwardly of said arm, cooperating laterally-spaced contacting means disposed respectively on said arm and on said shank for maintaining said seat alined with said cap, and a spring attached to said arm and bearing rearwardly against a portion of said shank at a point at least substantially as low as said cooperating contacting means.

2. An injector razor as in claim 1 wherein blade stops are provided on said cap and a guard is fixed to said blade seat, and wherein one pair of said laterally spaced contacting means is in the form of cam means for adjustably moving said shank forwardly with respect to said arm to adjust the relative position of said guard and said blade stops to vary the shaving angle of a blade contacting said blade stops.

3. An injector razor comprising a cap and a blade seat arranged to receive a blade therebetween, an arm extending downwardly from said cap, a shank extending downwardly from said seat and forwardly of said arm, rotary means carried by said arm for adjusting the relative position of said arm and said shank to vary the cutting angle of a blade so received, and rearwardly projecting contacts carried on said shank on opposite sides of the vertical center-line of said shank for aligning said cap and seat and contacting said rotary adjusting means.

4. An injector razor comprising a cap and a blade seat arranged to receive a blade therebetween, blade stops on a forward portion of the cap, an arm extending downwardly from said cap, a shank extending downwardly from said seat and forwardly of said arm, a guard fixed to the blade seat, cam means carried by said arm for adjusting the relative position of said arm and said shank to vary the cutting angle of a blade so received, and adjusted contacts on the shank and contacting the cam means alining the guard and the cap, said contacts being spaced on opposite sides of the vertical center-line of said shank.

5. An injector razor comprising a cap and a blade seat arranged to receive a blade therebetween, an arm extending downwardly from said cap, a shank extending downwardly from said seat and forwardly of said arm, a rotatable button for adjusting the relative position of said arm and said shank to vary the cutting angle of a blade so received, cooperating stop means on said button and said arm to limit the rotation of said button, contacts carried on said shank and contacting the rotary button and alining said shank and said arm and thus the blade seat with the cap, positive stop means on the button, and rearwardly projecting means on said shank cooperating with said positive stop means to provide fixed limits to the rotation of said button in the event the first-mentioned stop means becomes ineffective.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,281,980 5/42 Kuhnl 30-62 2,363,609 11/44 Muros 30-65 2,661,533 12/53 Shnitzler 30-63 2,799,926 7/57 Shaylor 30-63 2,871,561 2/59 Gavrin 30-65 2,911,714 11/59 Preis et al 30-64 3,067,512 12/62 Randol 30-62 3,095,645 7/ 63 Stahl 30-63 3,128,551 4/64 Crown 30-63 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INJECTOR RAZOR COMPRISING A CAP AND A BLADE SEAT ARRANGED TO RECEIVE A BLADE THEREBETWEEN, AN ARM EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID CAP, A SHANK EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BLADE SEAT AND FORWARDLY OF SAID ARM, COOPERATING LATERALLY-SPACED CONTACTING MEANS DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY ON SAID ARM AND ON SAID SHANK FOR MAINTAINING SAID SEAT ALINED WITH SAID CAP, AND A SPRING ATTACHED TO SAID ARM AND BEARING REARWARDLY AGAINST A PORTION OF SAID SHANK AT A POINT AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY AS LOW AS SAID COOPERATING CONTACTING MEANS. 